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Adams & Wheater Help Hampshire Secure Hard-Fought Draw
Adams & Wheater Help Hampshire Secure Hard-Fought Draw
Report from day four of Hampshire Specsavers County Championship match against Middlesex at the The Ageas Bowl
Hampshire secured their third draw of the season against Middlesex on the fourth day of their Specsavers County Championship match at the The Ageas Bowl.
Jimmy Adams (70) hit his first half-century of the season, before Adam Wheater (57*) and Ryan McLaren (46) applied the finishing touches, a 100 partnership to show for their efforts.
Tino Best (1-18) came out firing with the ball, after Hampshire declared on 290-5, and took his first wicket for the club, when Sam Robson (0) edged his wicked delivery behind to Wheater.
Adams and James Vince (38) were finding the boundary nicely at the start of day four – beginning on 76-1 - but Vince was caught at backward point in the 31st over, Robson taking the catch from Toby Roland-Jones to leave Hampshire at 103-2.
Adams hit his first fifty of the season before lunch, extending Hampshire’s lead to 147 runs on the final day against Middlesex, before Will Smith (14) was trapped at lbw by Tim Murtagh, leaving Hampshire on 132-3.
Adams and Smith’s replacement, Liam Dawson, added steadily to the lead before the break, taking Hampshire to 172-3 with two sessions remaining.
Dawson (19) looked in good touch, putting away three boundaries before being bowled by Stephen Finn (1-40) shortly after lunch.
Finn was looking menacing, next taking the wicket of Adams, who edged to the slips having protected his wicket so determinedly on day four; an excellent display from the opening batsman.
Wheater was fast out of the blocks, scoring at a run a ball, and his running with Ryan McLaren was effective when the boundary wasn’t reached.
Wheater and McLaren both hit their second fifties of the season, supplying a resilient 100 partnership in response to the morning’s wickets - extending their lead handsomely beyond 250 runs, approaching a comfortable home draw for Hampshire.
Hampshire declared on 290-5, leaving Middlesex needing 266 runs for victory.
It would have been nice to get some more runs in the first innings but it wasn't the easiest wicket with the variable bounce right from the word go. We had them three or four down when we came off for rain on the second day when it would have been better for us to stay out there – the ball was nipping around and we could have got a couple more wickets. Coming back this morning we knew we had to bat well as they were going to come back hard at us to try and bowl us out and chase something down. We had a little chance of getting something at the end but mainly we just wanted to give our guys a bowl.
James Vince, Hampshire Captain
Hants’ latest bowling acquisition, Best, came out firing and quickly dismissed Sam Robson - wicket keeper Wheater taking the catch when he edged behind in the third over.
When a draw had long looked a certainty, Tomlinson (1-13) added to the doubt by taking the wicket of Nick Gubbins, trapping the Middlesex batsman at lbw.
The players shook hands when there were no more Hampshire breakthroughs, concluding four days of excellent cricket from both sides.
